Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:

Yes

A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:

UM conducted a Diversity and Inclusion Campus Climate Survey in the Spring of 2019.

This survey is important as UM’s colleges, schools and administrative departments work to provide a variety of diversity-related initiatives to support access, representation, respect, inclusion and acceptance. These efforts are essential to strengthening our overall cultural competency and acknowledge the importance of fostering and cultivating a diverse, inclusive and equitable classroom and workplace experience for our University community.

Diversity and inclusion are important for the future of the institution. The survey will provide better understanding about the current climate and identify opportunities for improvement. The survey audience includes all faculty, staff and students, and its focus is on obtaining feedback regarding personal diversity-related experiences throughout our Montevallo community.

Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of faculty, staff, administrators and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:

Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity (e.g. pay and retention rates for underrepresented groups)?:

Yes

A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs and initiatives:

111 faculty and staff completed the Spring 2019 Campus Climate Survey and 106 students completed it. The data collected will serve as baseline data to help the Chief Diversity Officer identify areas where we seem to do well in terms of diversity, inclusion and equity and the areas that need improvement. Data is still being analyzed, but the following things have stood out the most: -Students feel that our faculty could stand to be more diverse; -Students and faculty that identify as minorities often times don’t feel supported on campus. Some of them even reported being looked over by others and reported microagressive behaviors that happen inside and outside the classroom. -Faculty and staff have very different opinions when it comes to our focus on diversity, inclusion and equity: some believe that we are no where near where we should be, some think we have arrived, and others feel that the focus on diversity, inclusion and equity is misplaced. Faculty and staff in the last group either believe that these efforts take away from more important issues like curriculum, some believe it will just happen naturally and others see no need for promoting diversity, inclusion and equity because it unfairly gives minorities advantages when it comes to hiring, etc.

This data will be used to identify both short and long term goals for diversity, inclusion, and equity policy.

Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:

Yes

A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:

They will be shared once data has been analyzed.

Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:

No

The diversity and equity assessment report or summary:

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The website URL where the report or summary is publicly posted:

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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution and complete the Data Inquiry Form.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System

(STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and
universities to measure their sustainability performance.